Newspaper Aftenposten reported on Wednesday that around NOK 250 million (USD 43 million) from the ministry’s foreign aid (bistand) budget was sent to some 40 organizations in the US in 2011 alone. About half of it, according to a confidential state report obtained by Aftenposten, was sent further to developing countries, but the rest stayed with organizations including The Brookings Institution and the Center for American Progress.

…

Aftenposten reported that the internal document, which had been withdrawn from the public domain, was ordered by the ministry and written last year by the Norwegian Peace Building Resource Center, which was established as an independent organization by the ministry itself in 2008. Its report offers an overview of how the Norwegian government is trying to buy influence among US organizations that in turn can influence US policy in Washington. The organizations mostly conduct research, foreign aid projects of their own and environmental protection.

The Brookings Institution, a long-established think tank that aims to strengthen American democracy along with economic and social welfare, received NOK 10 million over a three-year period for studies on changes in the balance of international influence. The New America Foundation received NOK 580,000 to study regional dimensions in the conflict Afghanistan, including relations with Iran. The Center for American Progress, a major think tank for the Democratic Party, received NOK 1.3 million to look at fairness in the workplace. The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, meanwhile, received NOK 3.5 million in 2010 for peace research in Latin America.

The list goes on, with the resource center’s report noting that only the governments of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have given more money to the various organizations in the US, according to Aftenposten.

But don’t worry: All that money being sent to the US isn’t distracting the Norwegians from their real mission.

The money sent to the US organizations accounts for a fairly small percentage of Norway’s foreign aid budget, which amounted to NOK 27 billion last year. The five largest recipients of Norwegian foreign aid in 2011 were, according to the most recent figures available, Afghanistan, Tanzania, Palestine, Somalia and Mozambique.

I wonder whether the US Federal Election Commission might take a look at how much Norwegian money went to the Obama campaign.What a silly thought….

(Fjordman) A report prepared by groups in the various Nordic countries has proposed instituting a legal ban on anti-Feminist “hatred,” comparing this to “racism.” Representing the left-wing coalition government in Norway, Ahmad Ghanizadeh from the Socialist Left Party (SV), the State Secretary in the Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion, was positive towards the proposal, and promised that the government would look into it.My initial thought upon hearing this is that Leftism is now officially a religion, and that its proponents desire a “blasphemy statute” to ban any serious discussion of left-wing doctrines and their consequences as “hate speech.”Writer and fellow online dissident Takuan Seiyo commented that not even George Orwell could have come up with anything that tops this scenario. Yes, there is a serious proposal afoot in Norway to ban “anti-Feminist hatred”. Yes, the ministry really has the Orwellian name of Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion. And yes, this State Secretary in Norway really is called Ahmad Ghanizadeh, originally from Iran.In 2013, Norway’s Minister of Culture is Hadia Tajik, whose Muslim family came from Pakistan. One must assume that Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of the Labour Party appointed her partly to remind the native population that they no longer have a culture, only “Multiculture,” but mainly in order to appeal to the Muslim and other Third World immigrant voters whose support his left-wing coalition depends upon in order to stay in power.PM Stoltenberg in his prestigious New Year’s Speech for 2013 promised that his government would seek to ban “hateful utterances” on the Internet. The year before, Stoltenberg used his New Year’s Speech, always broadcasted on prime-time national TV and watched by a large proportion of his countrymen, to launch a frontal attack on alleged “totalitarian seducers” who use the Internet to spread unfounded “hatred.”I was shortly afterwards contacted by the journalist Ragnhild Sleire Øyen from the state broadcaster NRK, the local equivalent of the BBC, who considered it obvious that the Prime Minister was referring to me personally. I’m sure many other citizens got the same message, and that may well have been intentional.The PM didn’t mention any names explicitly, but then he didn’t have to, since so many others had done that dirty job for him. His right-hand man in Labour, Party Secretary Raymond Johansen, has singled me out for public attack by name several times, both before and after the Prime Minister gave this speech, as one of the individuals spreading irrational “hate” against Islam and therefore holding me partly responsible for the mental climate that allegedly created Anders Behring Breivik. I wasn’t the only name on that short list, but I usually topped it.Norway is a small country, but I still find it unhealthy that a sitting political head of state uses his most prestigious annual speech addressing the nation to launch a thinly veiled attack on individual citizens who have done nothing criminal. An analogy for Americans would be if the President of the United States used his State of the Union speech to launch a thinly veiled attack on writers who use the Internet to publish ideas he dislikes, for instance the conservative author Michelle Malkin, or Glenn Reynolds with his major blog Instapundit. Even Obama hasn’t gone that far, at least not yet. The Social Democratic Prime Minister of Norway has.Who gets to define “hate,” and do negative feelings always come out of nowhere? What if public anger, assuming it exists, actually has a cause that needs to be addressed? For example, being displaced in one’s own country by often hostile tribes? Should we simply ban any real discussions of this problem instead of dealing with the actual cause of public frustration? If so, what will be the long-term results of such a policy?Elisabeth Skarsbø Moen is the debate editor and a regular columnist in VG, one of Norway’s two largest newspapers, and the largest one with a truly national readership. She writes in positive terms about Feminism, while at the same time championing the continued mass immigration of people from cultures that are extremely hostile to women. Like most other Western Feminists of her ilk, she sees no contradiction in this.In October 2012, Skarsbø Moen wrote a deeply emotional column in VG entitled “Our children”, where she lamented that her society sometimes makes a distinction between “our” children and “other” children, that is, people born in other countries. She chastised her own country for not treating all children born anywhere on the entire planet as equally ours. The occasion concerned two young male Muslim asylum seekers from Afghanistan.I don’t know these specific individuals, but it’s a fact that quite a few of the young asylum seekers who come to Europe from Afghanistan are actually young adults who lie about their age; so they are in fact neither children, nor are they “ours.” Skarsbø Moen thereby managed to tell two blatant falsehoods in just two words.It also must be mentioned that these “children” usually bring with them an Islamic culture that is often violent and usually extremely hostile to women’s liberties. Yet this self-appointed Feminist does not seem to care much about that, or worry about the future consequences of allowing such a culture gain a foothold in her own country. Skarsbø Moen’s column was pure emotional pornography about how cruel and evil we are for not allowing potentially violent and generally hostile Muslims into our countries.Neighboring Sweden has in little more than three decades metamorphosed from a safe country into being flooded by street crime and having one of the world’s highest recorded rape rates. Young blond girls in Stockholm suburbs are getting used to being called “whores” on a daily basis, and sometimes dye their hair in an attempt to avoid sexual harassment in the streets of what once was their own country.Coincidentally, this transformation all took place at the same time as the largest wave of mass immigration in recorded history, much of it from brutal and repressive male-dominated cultures. Yet most of the left-wing or Marxist Feminist activists and journalists in Scandinavia strenuously deny that there is any connection between these two phenomena, and will aggressively attack as “racists” those who dare to suggest that the mass immigration they support has caused any of this.In December 2011 a Swedish mother-of-two was subjected to a brutal gang-rape by perhaps a dozen young male asylum seekers from Afghanistan in a refugee camp in Mariannelund, Sweden — although only seven of them were convicted for this gruesome crime. Swedish newspapers such as Aftonbladet systematically conceal the ethnic identity of the perpetrators in cases involving immigrants, though, and only show photos featuring white criminals.Reports stated that “The rape was oral, anal and vaginal sometimes with three rapists inside her at the same time while everybody was cheering and clapping. The gruesome rape marathon lasted for 7 hours. 11 suspects may have been involved, taking turns while drinking and getting high on drugs. The asylum seekers were cheering and clapping their hands during the rape marathon while calling the victim ‘whore’ and ‘slut’.”The Swedish victim went into shock and has naturally become heavily traumatized. She is now subject to panic attacks and lives in a psychiatric clinic. She is also bound to a wheelchair due to the damage to her abdomen. The main perpetrator – Rafi Bahaduri, 25 – had already committed four other rapes in Sweden that we know of.Despite this, Elina Gustafsson, a local member of the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League (SSU) who defines herself as a “proud Feminist,” thought it would be “racist” to expel these convicted Muslim criminals.I’m reminded of another left-wing politician from Sweden. The Marxist Feminist Gudrun Schyman, then the leader of the “reformed” Communist party, in a speech in 2002 suggested that Swedish men are just like the Taliban. Fredrik Virtanen, a male columnist for the national newspaper Aftonbladet, immediately agreed with her that yes, Western men are just like the brutal Taliban regime and other Muslims from Afghanistan.The young woman from Mariannelund, Sweden who just had her life ruined might disagree with this claim. Even native-born psychopaths rarely behave in this manner, yet such a treatment of women is unfortunately not rare in the most repressive parts of the Islamic world, whose primitive tribal cultures Western authorities insist on mass-importing to our cities.Gang rapes and certain other types of violent crime were exceedingly rare in the Nordic countries a few decades ago, but are currently in the process of becoming routine. In Trondheim, Norway, on the 28th of May 2011, a young girl named Eva Helgetun took her own life. She was just 14 years old, and had been gang-raped by immigrants a few weeks before. Too many others share her fate.In the 1960s when the so-called Second Wave of Feminism began, often with strong Marxist inspirations, Western women were relatively safe compared to women in other parts of the world. Half a century later, Western women have never had more Feminism, yet they and their children have also never been less safe.Perhaps pointing out this fact constitutes “hate” in the eyes of some people, but that doesn’t make it any less true.The problems caused by Third World mass immigration will not go away if we ban people from speaking truthfully about them. How hard can it be for members of the ruling elites to grasp this simple fact?

What a difference in tone. They always were great in accusing Israel, now they have to defend themselves. Must really suck for the government to be outed on the international arena as having something in common with Anders Breivik.

A TRANSCRIPTION OF STATEMENTS MADE BY FM ESPEN BARTH EIDE ON NORWEGIAN TELEVISON CHANNEL NRK ON MARCH THE 21ST 2013.Source: Miff

Newscaster in the studio: Norway’s FM Espen Barth Eide now enters the issue of the Palestinians incarcerated over terrorism, meanwhile receiving large sums of money by the authorities in Palestine. Actually, Norway donates large amounts of money every year to the PA; according to FM Eide the government has been misinformed on this issue.

Journalist Tormod Strand: FM Espen Barth Eide is now making an attempt to clarify the issue of which Dagsrevyen has revealed on fiscal support by the PA to Palestinian prisoners convicted of terrorism. At first the (Norwegian) MFA denied there was such an arrangement; after investigating thoroughly with Palestine, things looks somewhat differently.

FM Espen Barth Eide: I have certainly not received documentation of this money not going to terrorism convicts; it is being informed of those being incarcerated for long periods receiving more money than short period convicts. And exactly that is the reason why we, with the UK, have asked to receive further documentation in a letter recently sent the PA.

Strand: The FM says the PA has misinformed Norway.

Barth Eide: The insufficient documentation received at first, this was rather unfortunate..

Strand: NRK’s issues led to the Storting’s Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs raising this matter. There is a suspicion the Storting has not received the correct information from the (Norwegian) MFA. On yesterday, the Committee received a new letter. The leader of the Committee is not still content.

Member of the Storting, Anders Aanundsen, leader of the Committee of Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs (Progressives): I think there are some weaknesses in the letter. We have still not received full clarity over when the MFA actually got to know about this arrangement being different from what he had informed the Storting on earlier; this means we have a basis to further evaluate whether a new letter should be sent after this Easter.

Khalid Ahmed: Wishing you dead is all a big joke!The excellent Norway, Israel and the Jews blog has all the details, here is a portion of McGonagall’s post on NIJ.UPADATE:In the comments: Mr Ahmed is NOT an MP, but a member of the local town council at Hamar.Labor MP Khalid Haji Ahmed hard at work dissing the Jews:

“Damn Jew whores (…) wish Hitler could come back and shower you a little more.”

– I regret that I was thrown into this, and I’m sorry that it caused so much fuss. There was no meaning behind what I wrote, it was meant humorously, says Ahmed told NRK.

NOTE: How ”hoping for Hitler to come back and finish the job” could be considered humour, is beyond me. Another Muslim in Norway, Trond Ali Linstad wants Israelis murdered, almost received medal from Norwegian King.

Jews harassed on facebook

It says that Jews are being harassed on facebook by AUF members (youth labor party) AND Ap politician Khalid Haji Ahmed. As a reaction to the escalation of the conflict with Hamas.

On Monday afternoon, an AUF member shared this message on Facebook, according to Hamar Arbeiderblad.

“Damn Jew whores (…) wish Hitler could come back and shower you a little more.”

The Facebook entry is a response to the escalating conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza.

The comment provoked a strong reaction, especially when AP-politician Khalid Haji Ahmed decided to join the debate. Instead of reprimanding the Labor youth politician who posted the harassment, he wrote a flippant, slightly sarcastic comment back to one of the participants in the discussion.

When asked why Ahmed did not take more distance from harassment, says Labor politician to Nettavisen that he often uses humor to promote/prove a political point.

Lighted torches for all victims

– I know the young people, and in dialogue with young people use their language. I tried to say “Oh, good luck, then, if you want to do silly things,” says Ahmed.

Ahmed says that he feels misunderstood, and that he really talked to the youngsters, but in a private chat, and not on his facebook wall. He also says to Nettavisen that the youth who posted the harassment is no longer a member of the Labor youth.

On Saturday, Ahmed participated in a ceremony where they lit torches for the 71 victims that had been killed in the ongoing conflict between Palestinians and Israelis.

– Three of the torches were for those who died in Israel, he said.

Khalid Haji Ahmed says he strongly opposes what was written on the facebook status

He says that he thinks it is wrong to judge people based on what religion they belong to, whether they are Muslim, Jew or Christian.

The Jews are not impressed. It seems that everywhere you turn in Scandinavia, the political, cultural elite is taking it out on the Jews. Just today I published a piece on Norway’s King Harold V who plans to award an antisemite a medal for public service, and in Sweden the Jewish communities in Malmö and Helsingborg refuse to participate in the Kristallnacht commemorations due to other parties’ private agendas.

NOTE: This has gone well beyond parody, something more sinister is at work here.

Ever since the mid-1990s, the district Møhlenpris in Bergen hosted an annual march with torches in memory of Jews in the district who were arrested and sent to concentration camps during World War II. The Torchlight procession will be held on 26 november, the day when the cargo ship Donau went from Oslo with 532 Norwegian Jews.

After the torchlight SV leader Audun Lysbakken will speak at the “Human Rights Square”, after which there will be a lecture by former Prime Minister Kåre Willoch in the Rafto-house. According to information from Møhlenpris district association, the event is supported by Bergen Municipality.

Boycott by Jewish musician

An American-Norwegian Jew who for years has participated in the event with Jewish prayers and an original for the occasion wriitten composition, chooses to boycott this year’s event.

– I refuse to participate in the same program as Kåre Willoch. It could not have been chosen a more inappropriate speaker at a ceremony commemorating the Holocaust, writes the musician on his private Facebook page. He explains to his American friends in English that Willoch is “extremely anti-Israel, and has made some terrible anti-Semitic comments.”

(Miff.no has written articles on how Willoch demonizes and spreads factual errors about Israel.)

It is not only from the west coast that experiences strong reactions to the election of Willoch speaking. “This is a punch in the stomach for us,” said a Norwegian Jew in east Norway, not wanting to come forward with names.

Provocative

Reactions are directed not only on the choice of Kåre Willoch, but also to Audun Lysbakken. The party he leads is in favor of a policy that will end the world’s only Jewish state.

– The composition of the program is at best tasteless and unmusical, according to Jan Rødner Benjamin, director of Miff and member of the Jewish community in Oslo.

– It is very provoking that people that so utterly appear as opponents of significant Jewish interests are invited to a program to remember – in a positive way for the victims – persecution of Jews during World War II, says Rødner.

He believes that a significant majority of Norwegian Jews perceive SV and Willoch policies not only critical of Israel, but Israel-hostile.

– If their policy was to be followed, it would lead to the destruction of Israel as we know it, says Rødner.

– When we consider that the lack of a Jewish state was a major reason why the Jews were arrested and sent out of Norway to die in concentration camps, it is outrageous that these two people will speak, saying Rødner.

– Similarly, the commemoration of Kristallnacht in Oslo was destroyed a few years ago when it was used by SOS Racism, he adds.

The criticism

Miff.no have received access to an e-mail where a member of the organizing committee defends the choice of Kåre Willoch speaking. The e-mail was sent to a citizen of the city of Bergen going to boycott the event.

–We have deliberately omitted to make the relationship between Israel and the Palestinians a component of this celebration because it is a conflict that splits and does not uniite, writes Gunnar Wiederstrøm.

Hefurtherwrites:

‘Over the years we have had appellants and speakers with quite different views on the state of Israel. Two years ago, the then county governor Svein Alsaker gave a speech. He has been a sworn friend of Israel throughout his adult life and in his speech he included a strong solidarity with Israel.

Another strong friend of Israel, Jo Benkow, held both an appeal and talks a few years back. Yes, I do not think we’ve had one appellant or speaker who is not hot a defender of the right of Israel to live within secure borders. But we also had appellants and lecturers over the years with far more critical attitude to how Israel seeks security, thus Kåre Willoch is not in a unique position.

It disappoint me that friends of Israel cannot exercise more tolerance towards people who may be critical of parts of the policies practiced by Israel. In some circles, unfrotunately, one seeks to equate criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism and so place Kåre Willoch and others in the booth with some of history’s worst.”

(what?) The only Norwegian Jew deported in 1942 to remain alive, Samuel Steinmann, states the proposal by the chairman of the board of the White Buses, Rune Gerhardsen , over tours to Utøya is a demotion of the Holocaust.On Wednesday, Gerhardsen told Dagsavisen of his wish to arrange tours to Utøya under the auspices of the White Buses . These tours may make Norwegian youth understand the continuity of Adolf Hitler’s thoughts, via for instance the Srebrenica massacres, to the thoughts of Anders Behring Breivik, Gerhardsen said.The only Norwegian Jew still alive of those deported in 1942 is displeased with Gerhardsen’s initiative.“I feel like this is a demotion of the Holocaust’s gravity”, Steinmann says to the Dagen newspaper.“The concentration camps and Utøya are objects that are very far removed from each other. One is about the persecution of Jews, the other about being purely a terrorist incident”.Guri Hjeltnes, the director of the Holocaust center for the study of the Holocaust and minorities, on her hand holds the opinion Gerhardsen’s idea is a good one.“These are exciting thoughts; I will praise the board over their initiative. Then we can rather discuss what places should be visited”, Hjeltnes says.The White Bus foundation was established in 1992. The foundation arranges tours for students to the Nazi’s KZ camps, in order to increase the fund of knowledge over human rights and encourage students to display personal responsibility. The foundation has taken its name from the white buses employed to repatriate survivors post WW2. Norway cannot discern the moral difference between genocide by society and the act of one depraved person against society

As it happens, according to mainstream Islamic interpretations of Sharia, proselytizing Muslims is a capital offence. In fact, it is mentioned as far back as the so-called Pact of Omar, which Muslim doctrinaires still quote from, and which delineates what non-Muslims (it was first made with Christians in Syria) must—and must not—do to safeguard their blood.

(meforum.org)(Candid) Although the protections afforded Jews and Christians by Islamic law were, in many ways, ahead of their time, this grace, such as it was, had its limits. According to the Pact of Umar, which defined the relationship between the Peoples of the Book,

[Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians] shall not build, in our cities or in their neighborhood, new monasteries, Churches, convents, or monks’ cells, nor shall we repair, by day or by night, such of them as fall in ruins or are situated in the quarters of the Muslims.